Has your water bill recently gone up, despite you not using any extra water? Are you hearing the sound of running water coming from your walls? Or mysterious puddling of water is an odd location? Are you seeing mold growing somewhere in your home? It could be you’ve got a hidden water leak.
All homes and commercial buildings have extensive piping systems for both water and gas. Most of these pipes are hidden from view, making it difficult to locate a problem when it occurs. There are a variety of factors that can cause a water leak.
Some Causes of Water Leaks:
Old Connections
Over time the connections between pipes can become loose, or vibration can open up a small “pinhole” in a connection that allows a slow drip to start.
Bad Installations
When a gutter system is improperly installed or not well maintained the flow of water can be forced back towards the house and lead to leaks.
Faulty Connections
Sometimes “do-it-yourself” homeowners are not aware of the best practices used by professionals to insure a proper and long-lasting connection between pipes.
Connection to the Street
In many Hampton Roads neighborhoods the main water line connection between the street and your home has not been examined since the house was built. Old pipes can rust over time, leading to leaks. If you see unusual puddling in your yard this could be the cause.
Loose Seals
Water leaks can also occur when joints and seals become loose. We typically see this in bathrooms when the seal on a tub or shower drain wears and loosens over time. Another common issue is the seals on faucet hoses under a sink.
Sprinkler System Connections
Here again, a common place where connections between pipes and with the sprinkler heads are frequently damaged, causing a water leak.
Leak Detection
How Do We Find Hidden Leaks?
Leaks aren’t easy to find – and this is where we come in. Our greatest tool in combatting water leaks is a gas or audio leak inspection. We use special technology to listen for leaks on the underground water pipe. First using powerful audio equipment, we can listen for the hissing of small cracks in the pipe before they get out of control. This allows us to locate specific areas that have cracks in the pipes.
Gas pipe leak detection can also be used in hard to reach places. The inert gas is pumped into the leaking water line, then we use a powerful gas sniffing device to pinpoint the location of any leaks. Gas leak detection is completely non-invasive. Pipes that are hard to see and touch are nearly impossible to service. We do not want to cut into walls or do a large amount of labor if it is not necessary. Our Integrity Building and Restoration Services team prefer using this technology to keep labor costs for our customers as low as possible.
If you believe you may have a water leak, give us a call at 757-630-6641 right away. Leaks can cause health and safety issues, not to mention high water bills. Our licensed and insured team will find out for sure, minimizing damage and waste.
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Chesapeake, Virginia 23320
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